5 Minutes With The 55 Hudson Yards Team

55 Hudson Yards, Awards for Excellence in Office Development Finalist 

Trent Tesch, Principal, Kohn Pedersen Fox

Who has had the greatest influence on your career and what was the best advice he or she gave you?  

When I think about who has had the most impact on my career, I think immediately of Gene Kohn and his remarkable optimism that somehow every day could be better than the one before. Bill Pedersen also showed me the importance of establishing connections through design. It’s through these connections that meaning is created, and because of this, architecture can have a significant cultural impact.

As a ULI NY Awards nominee, what makes you most proud of your project?  

It’s the level of detail and execution we achieved on 55 Hudson Yards that makes me so proud. We invested a lot of energy into making the design a holistic experience by giving care to the small things such as stone finish and lift lobby details. The relatively simple tower–on–podium form allowed us to craft a facade that considers human scale and character.

What is your favorite off the beaten path New York location or activity? 

I live on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and I think the esplanade at Riverside Park is quite special. The view to the Hudson River in the evening as the sun sets is beautiful. It’s a much-desired calm moment in a very energetic city!